On 13-21 March 2023, CSAM and a group of ANTAM and Asian Development Bank (ADB) experts conducted a study tour in Pakistan, visiting several cities and sites in Punjab Province and the Capital Territory.

The study tour assessed the current testing capacities in the country, as well as the status of the agricultural mechanization sector in general, conducting dialogues with stakeholders representing government officials, academia, farmers, manufacturers and distributors.

The experts also participated in a joint knowledge workshop organized under the Asian Development Bank’s Technical Assistance programme ‘Enhancing Technology-Based Agriculture and Marketing in Rural Punjab’, marking the first collaborative effort of ANTAM with ADB, together with the Field Wing, Punjab Agriculture Department, Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asian and the Pacific (JFPR), and CABI.

ADB and CSAM agreed to pursue further this collaboration, expanding the reach of the ANTAM initiative. is an initiative led by the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) that aims to harmonize testing standards for agricultural machinery in the Asia-Pacific region. This has the ultimate goal of facilitating trade but most importantly promotes the use of safe, efficient, and environmentally sound agricultural machinery in support of related Sustainable Development Goals.